Poet-monk Saigyo wrote this mystical, and I feel very moving, thought-provoking poem:
"Passage into dark
mountains over which the moon
presides so brilliantly....
Not seeing it i'd have missed
this passage into my own past."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Autumn Storm
"Autumn, by eyes unseen,
Is heard in the wind's anger;
And the clash of river-reeds, the clamorous descent
Of wild-geese searching
The home-field's face,
Clouds shaped like leaves of rice,—all these
To watchful eyes foretell the evening storm."
From Noh Play "The Hoka Priests" (15th Century)
Is heard in the wind's anger;
And the clash of river-reeds, the clamorous descent
Of wild-geese searching
The home-field's face,
Clouds shaped like leaves of rice,—all these
To watchful eyes foretell the evening storm."
From Noh Play "The Hoka Priests" (15th Century)
A River of Tears - TOG
"I was snagged upon a shoal
of a river of tears.
Was that the start of this drift
to deeper waters?"
From: Suma chapter of The Tale of Genji by Shikibu Murasaki
Trans: E. G. Seidensticker
of a river of tears.
Was that the start of this drift
to deeper waters?"
From: Suma chapter of The Tale of Genji by Shikibu Murasaki
Trans: E. G. Seidensticker
Where shall I go - Kokinshu 952
"Where shall I go,
to what cave among the rocks,
to be free of tidings
of this gloomy world?"
Ref: Kokinshu 952
Trans: E. G. Seidensticker???
to what cave among the rocks,
to be free of tidings
of this gloomy world?"
Ref: Kokinshu 952
Trans: E. G. Seidensticker???
I envy the waves - by Ariwara Narihira
"Strong my yearning
for what I have left behind.
I envy the waves
that go back
whence they came."
Tales of Ise 7,
attributed to Ariwara Narihira
for what I have left behind.
I envy the waves
that go back
whence they came."
Tales of Ise 7,
attributed to Ariwara Narihira
The sorrow of parting - by Murasaki Shikibu
"The sorrow of parting
brings such floods of tears
that the waters of this river
must surely rise."
Passage from Genji Monogatari
by Murasaki Shikibu, trans Seidensticker
brings such floods of tears
that the waters of this river
must surely rise."
Passage from Genji Monogatari
by Murasaki Shikibu, trans Seidensticker
Upon a mountain-side - by Zenchiku Ujinobu
Spoken by Hoka priest to a traveler:
"He who has seen upon a mountain-side,
stock still beneath the moon
the young deer stand in longing for his mate;
That man may read the writing,
and forget the finger on the page."
Written by Zenchiku Ujinobu (1414 - 1499)
trans: Arthur Waley
"He who has seen upon a mountain-side,
stock still beneath the moon
the young deer stand in longing for his mate;
That man may read the writing,
and forget the finger on the page."
Written by Zenchiku Ujinobu (1414 - 1499)
trans: Arthur Waley
Imagery of Change
A spring has gone;
summer grown to age;
An autumn closed;
a winter come again,
Marked only by the changing forms
Of flowers and trees.
From “Shunkwan”, by Seami Motokiyo (1363 – 1384 A. D.)
Transl: Arthur Waley
I really enjoy this particular prose. You too? I feel such a powerful rhythm as I read this passage; maybe due to the moving imagery (seasons)?
summer grown to age;
An autumn closed;
a winter come again,
Marked only by the changing forms
Of flowers and trees.
From “Shunkwan”, by Seami Motokiyo (1363 – 1384 A. D.)
Transl: Arthur Waley
I really enjoy this particular prose. You too? I feel such a powerful rhythm as I read this passage; maybe due to the moving imagery (seasons)?
The Bell of Gion Temple
From the opening lines of a medieval Buddhist story:
"The sound of the bell of the Gion Temple echoes the impermanence of all things.
The pale hue of the flowers of the teak tree show the truth that they who prosper must fall.
The proud do not last long, but vanish like a spring night's dream.
And the mighty too will perish in the end, like dust before the wind.”
"The sound of the bell of the Gion Temple echoes the impermanence of all things.
The pale hue of the flowers of the teak tree show the truth that they who prosper must fall.
The proud do not last long, but vanish like a spring night's dream.
And the mighty too will perish in the end, like dust before the wind.”
Peaceful Retirement
I dream of peaceful retirement such as this;
maybe you also have this dream:
"Living in retirement beyond the World,
Silently enjoying isolation,
...I pull the rope of my door tighter
And stuff my window with roots and ferns.
My spirit is tuned to the Spring-season:
At the fall of the year there is autumn in my heart.
Thus imitating cosmic changes
My cottage becomes a Universe.
By Lu Yiin [fourth century A. D.]
maybe you also have this dream:
"Living in retirement beyond the World,
Silently enjoying isolation,
...I pull the rope of my door tighter
And stuff my window with roots and ferns.
My spirit is tuned to the Spring-season:
At the fall of the year there is autumn in my heart.
Thus imitating cosmic changes
My cottage becomes a Universe.
By Lu Yiin [fourth century A. D.]
dew of the flowers
"The dew of the flowers
dripping day by day;
In how many thousand years
will it have grown into a pool?
By Kiyowara Motosuke (907 – 990)
Included in "Kantan" Nō Play by Seami
Trans: Arthur Waley
dripping day by day;
In how many thousand years
will it have grown into a pool?
By Kiyowara Motosuke (907 – 990)
Included in "Kantan" Nō Play by Seami
Trans: Arthur Waley
Lost - by Zeami
"Lost on the journey of life,
shall I learn at last
that I trod but a path of dreams?"
...By Zeami (1363 – c. 1443)
Spoken by a traveling young man in search of his purpose in life; looking for answers, advice, wisdom
shall I learn at last
that I trod but a path of dreams?"
...By Zeami (1363 – c. 1443)
Spoken by a traveling young man in search of his purpose in life; looking for answers, advice, wisdom
Teardrops od Dew - Issa
He grieves for his recently deceased father--
"While I remain alive,
On me as on the grass
Fall teardrops of dew."
Ikinokoru
Ware ni kakaru ya
Kusa no tsuyu
Excerpt from Chichi no Shuen Nikki
Trans: Robert N. Huey
.
"While I remain alive,
On me as on the grass
Fall teardrops of dew."
Ikinokoru
Ware ni kakaru ya
Kusa no tsuyu
Excerpt from Chichi no Shuen Nikki
Trans: Robert N. Huey
.
A long line of wild geese - Buson
"A long line of wild geese
Against the lonely peak,
In the moonlight."
-Buson-
transl: Frances Rumsey
While reading this poem, I see myself forlorn and observing the scene; all is quiet.
A pretty unforgettable haiku, don't you agree?
Poem excerpted from "Japanese Impressions: with a note on Confucious"
Against the lonely peak,
In the moonlight."
-Buson-
transl: Frances Rumsey
While reading this poem, I see myself forlorn and observing the scene; all is quiet.
A pretty unforgettable haiku, don't you agree?
Poem excerpted from "Japanese Impressions: with a note on Confucious"
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Motionless Heron by Sōkan
Save for his thin voice
The motionless heron
Is but a drift of snow.
...Sōkan (1465 - 1554)
Japanese Impressions
The motionless heron
Is but a drift of snow.
...Sōkan (1465 - 1554)
Japanese Impressions
A Fallen Petal - by Arakida Moritake
A fallen petal
Rises to the branch:
Ah, a butterfly!
by Arakida Moritake
Passage excerpted from here
Rises to the branch:
Ah, a butterfly!
by Arakida Moritake
Passage excerpted from here
Dark Passage
Passage into dark
mountains over which the moon
presides so brilliantly....
Not seeing it i'd have missed
this passage into my own past.
by Poet-monk Saigyō Hōshi
mountains over which the moon
presides so brilliantly....
Not seeing it i'd have missed
this passage into my own past.
by Poet-monk Saigyō Hōshi
Mt Myojingatake in May - Notes to myself after hike.
Great mountain.
Great hike.
It was warm.
I was drenched in rain showers.
My cell phone battery was dead at the mountain's summit.
I was dry and muddy at end of hike.
Took the 2 plus hour train rides back looking like a vagabond but feeling great.
Somehow managed to get a sunburn (not too bad).
Hiked from Sengoku, over mountain, to Daiyuzan.
Please click on flower to see best picture.
This flower was beside the trail - I took the picture while the rain was still falling.
Great hike.
It was warm.
I was drenched in rain showers.
My cell phone battery was dead at the mountain's summit.
I was dry and muddy at end of hike.
Took the 2 plus hour train rides back looking like a vagabond but feeling great.
Somehow managed to get a sunburn (not too bad).
Hiked from Sengoku, over mountain, to Daiyuzan.
Please click on flower to see best picture.
This flower was beside the trail - I took the picture while the rain was still falling.
Trailside Mountain Flower
CHU CH'EN VILLAGE (A.D. 811)
Through this beautiful prose, Po Chu-i writes of simple villagers living an ideal, uncomplicated life.
Title: CHU CH'EN VILLAGE (A.D. 811)
Poet: Po Chu-i
More Translations From The Chinese
"In Hsii-chou, in the District of Ku-feng
There lies a village whose name is Chu-ch'en ―
A hundred miles away from the county-town,
Amid fields of hemp and green of mulberry-trees.
Click, click goes the sound of the spinning-wheel;
Mules and oxen pack the village-streets.
The girls go drawing the water from the brook;
The men go gathering fire-wood on the hill.
So far from the town Government affairs are few;
So deep in the hills, man's ways are simple.
Though they have wealth, they do not traffic with it;
Though they reach the age, they do not enter the Army.
Each family keeps to its village trade;
Grey-headed, they have never left the gates.
Alive, they are the people of Ch'en Village;
Dead, they become the dust of Ch'en Village.
Out in the fields old men and young
Gaze gladly, each in the other's face.
In the whole village there are only two clans;
Age after age Chus have married Ch'ens.
Near or distant, they have kinsmen in every house;
Young or old, they have friends
wherever they go.
On white wine and roasted fowl they fare
At joyful meetings more than " once a week."
While they are alive, they have no distant partings;
To choose a wife they go to a neighbour's house.
When they are dead,― no distant burial;
Round the village graves lie thick.
They are not troubled either about life or death;
They have no anguish either of body or soul.
And so it happens that they live to a ripe age
And great-great-grandsons are often seen."
Title: CHU CH'EN VILLAGE (A.D. 811)
Poet: Po Chu-i
More Translations From The Chinese
"In Hsii-chou, in the District of Ku-feng
There lies a village whose name is Chu-ch'en ―
A hundred miles away from the county-town,
Amid fields of hemp and green of mulberry-trees.
Click, click goes the sound of the spinning-wheel;
Mules and oxen pack the village-streets.
The girls go drawing the water from the brook;
The men go gathering fire-wood on the hill.
So far from the town Government affairs are few;
So deep in the hills, man's ways are simple.
Though they have wealth, they do not traffic with it;
Though they reach the age, they do not enter the Army.
Each family keeps to its village trade;
Grey-headed, they have never left the gates.
Alive, they are the people of Ch'en Village;
Dead, they become the dust of Ch'en Village.
Out in the fields old men and young
Gaze gladly, each in the other's face.
In the whole village there are only two clans;
Age after age Chus have married Ch'ens.
Near or distant, they have kinsmen in every house;
Young or old, they have friends
wherever they go.
On white wine and roasted fowl they fare
At joyful meetings more than " once a week."
While they are alive, they have no distant partings;
To choose a wife they go to a neighbour's house.
When they are dead,― no distant burial;
Round the village graves lie thick.
They are not troubled either about life or death;
They have no anguish either of body or soul.
And so it happens that they live to a ripe age
And great-great-grandsons are often seen."
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